


Let Go! Eternal Shining Okinawa Vacation~ ☆

by shamebucket



Category: Room No. 9 (Visual Novel)
Genre: Grief/Mourning, Id Fic, Illnesses, M/M, Old Age
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21708037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamebucket/pseuds/shamebucket
Summary: Daichi tries to wait for Seiji before embarking on an adventure.
Relationships: Azumi Seiji/Kobayashi Daichi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Let Go! Eternal Shining Okinawa Vacation~ ☆

"... And you know, Seiji, the weather should be great this time of year. It doesn't matter that it's fall. There's still so much to see and do." My eyelids feel heavy. "Heh... just thinking about it wears me out a little. I guess we're not as young as we used to be, huh?" 

"Don't overexert yourself, Daichi." Seiji squeezes my hand. "There's time to plan and talk about it more later. You should rest. It's been a long day." 

"Mmm..." I look out the window. Bright orange leaves fall off the trees, vivid as a picture book. "It's still... light out." I yawn. 

"That doesn't matter. You should be resting." 

I know he's right. I'm not sure exactly how long it's been, but my body has been telling me to take it easy for a while now. Probably since my stroke? Lately, my dreams have felt much more real than what I experience when I'm awake. Maybe my body wants to be asleep. But... "Can you stay with me?" I don't like the idea of leaving Seiji alone for a long period of time. It's funny; he was the one who was unsure about having kids, but he's the one who nostalgically keeps our empty nest clean and tidy, our children's rooms the same as they always were. It's a little cute, but it also makes me want to stay with him whenever I can. 

"I'll always be here." 

His hand is so warm. I smile up at him. Even if he's older now, I still think he's the most handsome man on the planet. His wrinkles just make him look more elegant, if anything. "Thanks." 

I fall asleep as soon as I close my eyes, but it doesn't really feel like sleeping anymore. I've been having this recurring dream. "Seiji!" I yell across our small apartment, bag on my back. "We should get going, huh?" 

"It's better to be prepared!" he shouts back. He's trying to act cool, but he seems flustered. "I'm not ready to go yet." 

"Then I'm not ready either." I plop the bag on the floor, sit on our bed, and swing my legs. He's rummaging in our dresser drawer. "What are you missing?" 

"I can't find... ugh." He scowls. 

"What, looking for a ring? Were you thinking about proposing to me~?" He turns to me and pouts. I laugh and hug him, kissing his cheek. "It's okay. I can wait, whatever it is." 

"Hm..." Seiji turns around and kisses me on the lips. "I should keep looking. The bus will arrive soon." 

"We could always reschedule, get another bus." 

"Perhaps." He tries to brush my cowlick out of my face. It plops back into place immediately. He chuckles. "I don't want to keep you waiting." 

I lean my face into his shoulder and close my eyes, squeezing him tightly. "I'll wait forever for you." 

Someone's crying. My eyelids feel like they're full of sawdust. I try to pry them open. My son is at the end of the bed, being consoled by his sister. "We tried to come as fast as we could," Chinatsu says softly. 

"How's Papa doing?" Sora asks, swallowing his tears. 

"He's tired." Seiji hugs them both. "I'm so glad you were able to come." 

"Mmm?" I blink. Man, I feel tired. Maybe something's wrong with me. This reminds me of when I first had the stroke, but... I'm at home now... I think. I look around. There are pictures of my children and grandchildren on the wall. My guitar sits, covered in dust, in the corner. It's been too long since I could make sense of sheet music and tabs... 

"Papa..." Sora kneels by the side of the bed and grasps onto my hand. I look up at him. God, when did he get so old? Crazy thinking that I held this middle aged man in my arms, cradled him against me when he was an infant. "Papa, I'm here." 

"Hi." My fingers aren't reacting the way I want them to. They curl just slightly in Sora's palm. 

He laughs. "Papa... I'm so happy to see you." His lip quivers. "I, um... I wanted to tell you that I always look up to you. Everybody loves you, Papa." I try to think of what to say to that... somehow, brushing off those words when he looks so upset doesn't seem right. Maybe I need to accept this, for once. "You always tell everybody that you love them when you do, and you are always so... full of life. I want to be like that." He starts crying again. Chinatsu kneels by his side and rubs his back. "I love you, Papa." 

"I love you too. Don't cry." I look around the room. Looks like Seiji stepped out for a minute. 

"Papa, are you comfortable?" Chinatsu gently rubs my leg through the layers of fabric that I'm covered in. "I could get you more blankets." 

"Mmm... cold," I confirm. 

She squeezes my arm. "Do you want your arm under the blankets too?" I shake my head. She tucks me in, from my feet to my chest. 

Sora wipes tears from his face and rubs my shoulder. It feels nice. "You're both so busy," I say. "I'm glad you both stopped by to see your old men. He might not always show it, but I bet Dad is really happy to see you. He loves you." 

"We've got time for you." Chinatsu raises an eyebrow at Sora, as if to say _Idiot, make yourself useful_ , and he fluffs my pillow. "Kensuke and the kids will be here soon, too. He just needs to finish work and the kids are coming from high school." 

I frown. "Did I forget one of the kids' birthdays again?" 

Chinatsu kisses my head. "No. It's okay, Papa." 

"Mmm." That's a relief. I close my eyes. 

I'm laughing, running down the street. "Sei~ji~! Come on, slowpoke! Usually _I'm_ the one who is slow!" 

Seiji walks behind me. "There's... no rush," he says, hesitating. 

"Are you scared of going back?" I rock on my heels at the bus stop. "I think it'll be good. I really want to see that ocean!" 

"I'm not scared," Seiji says, defensive. "I just," he huffs, "don't want you to run headfirst into things you aren't prepared for." 

"We've got everything planned. There's no need to worry." The sky above me is blue and brilliant. I smile and close my eyes, taking in the sun's rays. It feels warm on my skin and clothes. "Don't you want it, Seiji? The warm water, the fresh, sea breeze? It was stolen from us before." 

"Well..." 

"Jiji?" Aozora gently shakes my shoulder. 

"Mmmn..." I groan. Man, I'm tired. Feels like my brain is going non-stop. 

"Um..." She fidgets. "People ask about you all the time. So many of your past students love you. I just, um... thought you should know." 

I smile at her. There are words in my throat, but it's becoming harder to speak them. Her older brother comes up from behind her. "Jiji, I've been cramming for uni entrance exams. I'm hoping I can go to be a teacher like you. I don't know if you remember." Ichika holds onto my hand. "You've touched so many people." 

"Mmm." I don't remember. Been thinking too much about that Okinawa trip. 

"It's good to see you. We'll be here when you wake up, okay?" 

"Kay." Where's Seiji... ?

... "Here. I know you get nervous flying, so I got you some of your favorite gum." 

Seiji takes a stick from the pack and shoves it into his mouth. "Can you blame me? We're thousands of meters up in the air. I feel better on the ground." 

"Hm~. Would you prefer if we go on a cruise next time?" 

"Absolutely not. Those are breeding grounds for illnesses." 

"Eh~. I guess so. I thought that might be fun. Watching you play shuffleboard sounds really cute. I bet you'd be super into it!" 

"Pfft." Seiji stares out the window. Carefully, I link my fingers with his. Without shifting his gaze, he squeezes my hand. I smile and lean back into the seat as we lift off. 

"Daichi." 

I open my eyes. It's dark out. Seiji isn't in bed with me, instead sitting by my side. He's clutching onto my hand like it's a precious treasure, the most beautiful thing. Can't he see that _he's_ the most wonderful thing in the world? "Seiji?" 

He smiles, though there's a complicated look on his face. He might be able to hide what he's feeling from other people, but not from me. I'm his husband after all. "It's okay. The trip you've been looking forward to for a long time... it's okay if you need to go without me. I'll try to catch up as soon as I can." 

I try to shake my head, but it just lolls to the side. Seiji adjusts me so I'm more comfortable. His hands feel very nice. "Want to go with you." 

"I can't go now." He squeezes my hand. There are tears on the edge of his eyes. "I'm not ready. But you've got a plane to catch, right? Winter's coming, and Okinawa isn't as fun to visit in the winter." 

"Mm." His hand is almost hot against my fingertips. When did I start feeling so cold all the time? "The sun does sound nice." 

"So go there. It's okay. I love you." 

...

The sea is vast and endless, stretching out before me. It's crystal clear, reflecting the sun. Palm trees sway behind me. 

I grin. There's no way I'm looking back from this. 

I dive in to the ocean.


End file.
